Last night marked the final evening of Aušra Tennis this summer and was fittingly ended with crowning the winners of the first ever Aušra Open!

Congrats to Gintare Miciulis & Tomas Ycas for winning the inaugural Aušra Open trophy! And to the finalists Rasa Malinauskas & Eugene Kriksciunas for such a close and exciting finals match.

It's great to see the continued growth of Aušra’s tennis community in Toronto, led by Coach Larissa Stoncius. With 15 members this year, we thank all the players who came out every week and made this season so much fun.

Go Aušra! ​

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Dear Ausra Sports Club Members,

My name is Graeme Dymond, and it has been my privilege to serve as your President. I first joined the executive as Treasurer in the spring of 2021, a role I held until September 2022, when I took on the presidency. I am now completing my three-year term and look forward to the future of our club.

We had a great 2024-2025 year, with significant growth in our volleyball program and the successful second season of our summer tennis program.

After a highly successful year where 50 of our athletes represented Canada in Lithuania, we are ready to welcome you to our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 9th at 7:00 PM in the small hall at the Church of the Resurrection, 1 Resurrection Road, Etobicoke, Ontario.

All are welcome to join us, and light refreshments and snacks will be served.

Registration is now live on our website at ausra.net

*The Aušra Sports Club is looking for Volunteers*

"We are still looking for passionate individuals to volunteer as coaches! We will pair you up with experienced coaches, and we are looking for coaches for any age/division. We have a particular emphasis on finding coaches for our Pre-molecules and Molecules age groups. If you're interested in giving back to the community and helping our young athletes grow, please let us know! For questions about coaching or any general inquiries, please contact us at ausra.krepsinis@gmail.com.

Executive Board Changes & Vacancies

The strength of our club is in our community, and we have a number of important roles that are crucial for our future.

On behalf of the club, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the members of our executive who have concluded their terms. Their dedication and hard work have been instrumental in the club's success, and we are incredibly grateful for their contributions. A special thanks to:

Aras Ruslys, our Vice-President of Sports

Edis Obeliunas, our Vice-President of Fundraising

Larissa Stoncius, our Treasurer

Dainius Saudys, our Member at Large

Ona Stanevicius, our Member at Large

As I (Graeme) will be stepping down from my role as President and will continue to serve on the board in an advisory capacity only, as 'Past President,' we have the following vacancies:

Vice-President of Sports, Vice-President of Fundraising, Treasurer

Two Member-at-Large positions

We encourage anyone interested in helping to shape the direction of Ausra Sports Club to consider joining the executive board. Any support will be given to those interested in taking on one of these roles, and anyone who would like to declare their candidacy should contact the outgoing president, Graeme Dymond, by Friday, September 5th, at ausra.krepsinis@gmail.com.

We are fortunate to have dedicated members like Melinda Stoncius (Secretary), Eugene Kriksciunas (Salfass Liaison), and Victoria Tatarsky (Member at Large) continuing their terms. We are looking forward to a great year ahead with both new and returning faces on the board.

Congratulations to all of our athletes representing Canada at the World Lithuanian Games in Palanga this summer! It was Ausra’s great honour to help get more than 50 athletes to Lithuania to compete in the games this year. Our sports community is extremely special and it was felt in Palanga.

We are proud to announce that Team Canada brought home 8 medals: 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze. We recognize and applaud your outstanding performances.

Here is a list of our medal winners:

GOLD

Billiardas (Pool), Men
Adam Ramanauskas

Swimming, 50m freestyle, Men born up to 2009
Matas Sirko

Swimming, 200m freestyle, Men born up to 2009
Matas Sirko

Swimming, 200m freestyle, Men born 1996-2008
Andrius Ashley 

SILVER

Tenisas, Women’s Doubles, Moterų dvejetai, combined age 85+
Diane Krikščiūnas & Larissa Stončius

10km Run, Women’s, Born 1986 and younger
Madeleine Beelen

BRONZE

Swimming, 50m butterfly, Men born 1996–2008
Andrius Ashley

10km Run, Women’s, Born 1986 and younger
Nida Nausėdas

Congratulations once again to our athletes for participating in the World Lithuanian Games and we look forward to the next games in 2029! 

Dear Members,

Aušra Tennis returns to Pine Point Tennis Club this spring and summer! ​

Our adult tennis social will run every Sunday from 7-9pm starting June 1st through September 7th, excluding long weekends.

Registration is now open here and on our website: https://app.teamlinkt.com/register/find/ausrasportsclub

Any questions? Please contact Larissa Stoncius at larissa@stoncius.ca or 647-542-0996.

Hope to see you on the courts! ​

Aušra Sports Club

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JULY 2

12-5pm: Scientific conference "The importance of sports for Lithuania's image in the world, national unity and citizenship"
Location: Kurhauzas, Grafu Tiskeviciu al. 1

JULY 3

4pm: Holy Masses dedicated to the XII World Lithuanian Sports Games
Location: Palanga Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Vytauto st. 51

5pm: Procession of the XI World Lithuanian Sports Games participants
Location: From Palanga Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Vytauto st. 51

6pm: Opening of the XII World Lithuanian Sports Games
Location: Palanga Stadium, Sporto st. 3

JULY 3-6 from 10am-8pm: Sports competitions, Different sports arenas

JULY 4

8pm: Palanga city west - Ethnic evening
Location: Near Birutes park rose garden

JULY 5

8pm: Palanga city west - Pop music evening
Location: Jurates and Kastycio square

JULY 6

12-5pm: XII World Lithuanian Sports Games Forum 
Location: Kurhauzas, Grafu, Tiskeviciu al. 1

7pm: XII World Lithuanian Sports Games Closing
Location: Jurates and Kastycio square

Aušra Sports Club is excited to be a part of the organizing committee for the World Lithuanian Games in Palanga this summer from July 2nd to 7th, 2025, and we have been asked to help share and also gather some information to help our athletes prepare.

The Games aim to promote sporting activities within the Lithuanian diaspora and support Lithuanian heritage.

As well, please see the crucial information below.

Key Information:

• Dates & Location: July 2nd - 7th, 2025 in Palanga, Lithuania.
• Registration:
  • Registration is now closed
• Flights:
  • It is recommended you arrive on or before July 2nd, and depart on July 7th or later.
  • Flight costs are estimated to range from $1,200 to $2,000 per person and are managed/booked independently - you are responsible for booking your own flights
  • Palanga (PLQ) is the most convenient airport. Alternatively, you can fly into Kaunas (KUN) or Vilnius (VNO)
  • Free transportation from Vilnius or Kaunas airports to Palanga will be arranged by the Games on July 2nd, with return transportation on July 7th. You will receive a separate email to register your flight details if you require transportation.
• Accommodation:
  • If you are interested in being included in a potential group booking at All Seasons Palanga, please email info@ausra.net by the end of April
    • While not mandatory, booking Canadian participants in one location is preferred
• Subsidization:
  • The Games will subsidize 45euros per athlete per day from July 2nd to July 7th. This subsidy will be distributed after the Games
• Practices: Practices for basketball, volleyball, and table tennis are being held at Resurrection Parish in Etobicoke on various dates (please refer to the original information for specific dates and times)
• FAQ Highlights:
  • The Lithuanian Games registration fee is free.
  • Transportation to event venues will be arranged by the Games, with walking or personal transportation also being options depending on location.
  • Renting a car is not necessary but is an individual choice.
  • Non-Lithuanian individuals can participate, with team sports requiring at least two-thirds of athletes to have Lithuanian heritage.

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@ausra.net.
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​ Lietuva Trip 2025 - Aušra Sports Club

Aušra SC is celebrating its 70th anniversary by sending athletes of all ages to the World Lithuanian Games in Palanga, July 3-6, 2025! ​​ This team will represent Canada under ŠALFASS and compete against Lithuanian athletes from around the world.

Who Can Join?

​ Junior Ausra Athletes born 2009-2014

​ All Adult Ausra Athletes in Ausra supported sports (basketball, tennis, volleyball, table tennis)

​ Up to ⅓ of the team can be non-Lithuanian

​ No registration fee – funded by the Lithuanian government

(travel/accomodation fees extra, see below)

Key Details:

​ Registration Deadline: February 14, 2025

​ Flights: Arrive by July 2, depart July 7 (individual bookings, shared info)

​ Accommodation: Book your own OR team housing available at All Seasons Palanga (optional)

​ Subsidies: €30/day per athlete + meal coverage from July 2-7

​ Swag: Uniforms provided by Canadian Lithuanian Delegation & Parama

​ Practices: Start in February in Etobicoke + May pre-trip SALFASS Tournament weekend in Chicago

Interested/Next Steps?

For each athlete, 3 registrations are REQUIRED by Feb 14, 2025

1) Ausra Sports Club https://app.teamlinkt.com/register/find/ausrasportsclub - Aušra

2) North American Governing Body ŠALFASS (free). https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSf7YzaB6upi3e.../viewform

3) Lithuanian Games itself (free). https://www.sportozaidynes.lt/registracija/

Please use the Google Translate function to translate from Lithuanian to English. Coaches can assist when filling out this form.

​ Questions or missed the deadline? Contact ausra.krepsinis@gmail.com ASAP!

​More info: https://www.ausra.net/ausrasportsclub/WORLDLITHUANIANGAMES

​Even more info: www.sportozaidynes.lt

THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING OUR 70TH ANNIVERSARY WITH US

Dear Aušra Sports Club Members & Athletes,

We wanted to take a moment to extend our deepest thanks to each of you for attending our 70th Anniversary event on Sunday. Your presence at such an important milestone for our club means the world to us, especially considering that you took the time out of your busy schedules on Super Bowl Sunday. We are incredibly grateful for your support and participation during our commemorative mass, and afternoon kids activities as well as the friendly basketball and table tennis games led by our amazing coaches Melinda Stončius, Eugenijus Krikščiūnas, Jonas Stončius, Edis Obeliūnas, Dainius Šaudys, Aleks Gylys, and Vytas Stončius.

Your generosity, both in terms of attendance and donations, has truly made a significant impact.

Thanks to your contributions, this funding will support our athletes' trip to Lithuania in July 2025 to participate in the World Lithuanian Games, and it will go a long way toward covering some of the costs of their travel and participation.

Mass was celebrated by Father Jonas, Father Raimundas, Father Augustinas, and Deacon Kazimieras. Children choir led by Daina Babeckaitė included Aušra SC athletes. Readings were done by Gabija, Eugenijus, Edis, Dominykas, and Greta. Gifts were brought up by Jonas, Larissa, Dana, and several of our junior athletes. The mass can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80g39C-Pg9U.

There were many volunteers and contributors, but we wanted to highlight a few: Lana Luksevičius, Jonas Stončius, Vytas Gataveckas, Danielius Duz, Audra Mills, Ilona Stanaitis, Gražina Pacevičius, Vida Stanevičius, Krista Liačias, Gailė ir Aliukas Gylys, Rūta Skusevičius, Vytas Stončius, Irena Vaišnoris, Barry Wilkinson, and our amazing cook for the day, Ona Rekus.

And to our silent auction donors: Martynas Drungilas, Linda Rugienis, Janet Joseph, Loreta Stanulis-Duz, Jalima Simancas, Violeta Prasauskas, Exactus Energy, Raymond Siauciulis, Stasys Kuliavas, the Stončius Family, Graeme Dymond, Ona Stanevičius, Viktorija Tatarsky, and Larissa Stončius.

Once again, thank you for being a part of this special event. Your dedication to our club and our athletes is what makes Aušra Sports Club such a remarkable community.

Warm regards,

The Aušra 70th Anniversary Committee

Ona Stanevičius, Larissa Stončius, Viktorija Tatarsky, Melinda Stončius, & Graeme Dymond

The 12th World Lithuanian Sports Games will be held this summer (July 3-6) in Palanga, Lithuania, and we look forward to sending a sizeable Team Canada ​ delegation once again. Currently, 29 sports disciplines are being offered, so there is something for everyone!

Discussions with the organizing committee in Lithuania are ongoing, and the Canadian delegation organizing committee (led by Kanados Sporto Apygarda) is working earnestly to coordinate Canadian participation. We want to gather information from those considering participating in the Games.

If you are interested and would like more information, please see our World Lithuanian Games page.

• Holy Mass at 11am
• Coffee, lunch, cake, & light refreshments
• Friendly table tennis, volleyball, & basketball games
• Chess, board games, & colouring
• 50/50 raffle & silent auction

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The Toronto Aušra Sports Club AGM will be held in September as a hybrid event, both in person at the church and online. Join us on Wednesday, September 4th at 7:00 PM for this important meeting, with more details to come closer to the event. We look forward to seeing you there.

For the 2024/25 season, one of our major focuses will be preparing for the Lithuanian World Games in July 2025 in Palanga. We aim to assemble a team of athletes and collaborate with our community for fundraising and sponsorship opportunities to represent Canadian Lithuanian sporting achievements.

Thank you all once again for your support. We look forward to a productive new season.

Happy Canada Day, everyone! This year has been exceptional for the Toronto Ausra Sports Club, and we’re thrilled to share some great news with you!

We’ve seen a record number of registrations in our sports programs, the highest in nearly a decade. Our basketball and table tennis programs for youth and men continue to thrive. Additionally, we’ve successfully relaunched women’s basketball, thanks to a dedicated group of athletes, and introduced coed volleyball. We’re also exploring more options for the 2024/2025 season, so stay tuned for updates!

A big thank you to all the volunteer coaches and parents who dedicated their time to our programs this year. Your efforts have strengthened our community, and we are always welcoming more volunteers. As a reflection of the community’s generosity, we have been able to donate over $7,500 to the church.

We had a fantastic year at SALFASS, hosted in Toronto, winning 5 gold, 7 silver, and 4 bronze medals in the SALFASS 2024 games—our best performance in many years. We’re immensely proud of our athletes and coaches. Special thanks to Aras Ruslys, Ona Stanevicius, Eugene Kriksciunas, and Dainius Saudys for coordinating our basketball and table tennis athletes and Ausra’s participation at SALFASS, as well as to Stasys Kuliavas, Matt Akelaitis, and everyone who organized this memorable tournament. We look forward to traveling to Detroit for next year’s SALFASS on the May long weekend.

We’re excited to announce the redesign of our website, ausra.net, featuring a streamlined registration process. This was made possible by the hard work of our treasurer Larissa Stoncius and her team. We’re grateful for their efforts in bringing this new website to life.

Our AGM will be held in September as a hybrid event, both in person at the church and online. Join us on Wednesday, September 4th at 7:00 PM for this important meeting, with more details to come closer to the event. We look forward to seeing you there.

For the 24/25 season, one of our major focuses will be preparing for the Lithuanian World Games in July 2025 in Palanga. We aim to assemble a team of athletes and collaborate with our community for fundraising and sponsorship opportunities to represent Canadian Lithuanian sporting achievements.

Thank you all once again for your support. We look forward to a productive new season.

IN WITH THE NEW...

We are excited to announce a fantastic new website for our community members.

Our board has been working on a fresh new look so you can enjoy the best possible user experience.  Some of the changes include seamless registration, frequent news updates, and information about local and international events. This new site launched in June 2024.

If you have any questions about our previous website, please be sure to reach out to our board members on our Contact Us page.
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ŠALFASS/LAUNA ​​​​​​​2024 - BASKETBALL

The final count is in for the 2024 ŠALFASS/LAUNA Basketball tournament...The Aušra Sports Club took home - 5 GOLD, 7 SILVER, and 4 BRONZE medals in this year's games.

Here are the winners of the basketball tournament:

From the Molecules (Co-Ed)...
Detroit Kovas won gold, taking home the shiny medal as the little ones played for a full game. Toronto Aušra received a Silver medal this weekend.

From Junior D...
Čikagos Lituanica returned to Chicago with GOLD  with a 53-14 result in the final. The consolation silver medal went to Toronto Aušra.

From Junior C...
Detroit Kovas came first against Toronto Aušra and won the gold medal.
From Junior B...
Cleveland Zaibas came first against Mississauga Anapilis Jr. B and won the gold medal.

From the Womens...
Toronto Aušra Womens team won Gold against the Toronto Aušra Jr B. Toronto Aušra Jr A. received a Bronze medal for their efforts.

From the Mens...
The Men's B Champion was Mississauga Anapilis (Green) in a 65-58 smoke out.

Čikagos Salta Balta triumphed in the consolation game vs. Detroit Kovas and won 77-66.

BIG GAME: Men's A Championship was a nail biter, but ultimately, Čikagos Lituanica ultimately sweeped the floor with a 57-45 win against Toronto Ausra (A).

ŠALFASS/LAUNA 2024 - TABLE TENNIS

We are excited to announce that the Toronto Aušra Sports Club will assist in hosting ŠALFASS 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from Friday May 17th - Sunday May 19th.

ŠALFASS is an annual sporting event for North American athletes of Lithuanian descent. It includes a weekend of games followed by a social activity for both parents and kids. The location address, game schedule and lodge accommodations are still to be announced. At this time, we want to give athletes and parents as much time as needed to prepare for this annual event. 

Mieli bendruomenes nariai/Dearest community members,

The Board of Directors of the Aušra Sports Club has been diligently working over the past months to prepare a diverse and inclusive 2023/2024 sporting year for all. We are continuing to refine our schedule based upon the needs of the club, based upon registrations, and so we encourage you to register for one of our enticing programs.

We anticipate our season to start for youth on the week of September 25th, and for adults the week of September 12th.

Please note our AGM is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19th at 8pm via Zoom. Please email us for a link if you wish to attend and did not receive a link. Note that there will be elections for vacant positions, as well as a proposal for an increase to club fees.

We encourage you to check out the Aušra Facebook page and website for any updates over the next few weeks and throughout our sports season. 

Please note that Aušra Sports Club is using Canada's Long Term Athlete Development program (https://sportforlife.ca/).

If you have any questions or concerns, please email info@ausra.net.

Best regards,
Aušra Sports Club